Crossbows

Crossbow. What a touchy word in today’s hunting world. Some love them, some hate them, but most just don’t care. Most hunters just want to enjoy a little time in nature with hopes of tagging a decent deer with their preferred weapon of choice. In fighting and finger pointing leading to confusing rules and too many different seasons only deters the common hunter from taking part at all.

The Indiana DNR is once again finalizing plans to change our state’s deer hunting regulations. It looks as if crossbows are going to become legal during the early archery season. Meaning, in the eyes of the law, a crossbow will be the same as a vertical bow. This has certain circles enraged. Organizations and individuals I greatly respect are beside themselves. Yet, in all honesty, I’m indifferent.

Last week, I was at gathering hosted by a very well known celebrity hunting couple. They have two television shows, one focusing on archery only, the other focusing on hunting with a variety of weapons. There were about 75 people (hunters) there. Also in attendance were a number of manufacturer representatives, including those from a bow company, a crossbow company and numerous firearms companies. The crazy thing was, just about everybody at the event was interested in all the gear. There were a few bow only guys, but most people got a kick out the crossbows, muzzleloaders, shotguns and rifles, too.

R.J. Cianciarulo with a hog in Florida in 2010. (Courtesy Photo) The argument against crossbows by the archery diehards is justifiable by historic suffrage. It took great effort to establish archery seasons and special regulations in favor of bowhunting. Now, as crossbows crash the party, bowhunters aren’t happy about sharing the spoils of what they worked so hard to accomplish. It makes sense. No one wants to give up what is believed to be theirs.

An argument archers often employ is that since you don’t have to draw a crossbow, thereby not having to move in the presence of an animal, it’s much easier to be successful. It’s true. No question about. Drawing a bow at the right time to avoid being seen is a crucial element of punching an archery tag. Honestly though, I believe that’s the only crossbow advantage at this point. I watched people shoot bows and crossbows on the same range. If I were a buck within 40 yards of any fella holding a bow or a crossbow, I’d hurry up and kiss my butt goodbye. Yet, once beyond 40, if given a choice, I would much rather have the crossbow hunter taking a shot at me. At the recent event I attended, a few of the bowhunters were showing off by dropping arrows in the kill zone of a target at 100 yards. Bowhunting has changed quite a bit since Fred Bear hung up his quiver.

If adopted, the new Indiana rules will allow a crossbow to be used by any hunter during the archery season with a special crossbow license, unless the person has a resident youth consolidated hunting license, a comprehensive lifetime hunting license, or is exempt from needing a license. Crossbows will also be legal for all urban zone hunting.

Weapons that go bang and weapons that don’t will be in separate seasons. Sort of makes sense. The addition of crossbows to bowhunting seasons doesn’t diminish the efforts of archery icons, like Glen St. Charles and M.R. James, who worked so hard to fight for our rights. It just moves our tradition in another direction. In the end, if we recruit more hunters, get youngsters out earlier and keep more old-timers in the field, we win. Crossbows will help.